The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that the Israeli authorities demolished or seized 44 Palestinian structures including homes during the past two weeks in the occupied territories of the West Bank and Jerusalem.
In its recent biweekly report on Israeli violations OCHA explained that the demolition measures were carried out during the period of August 30 – September 4 2022 at the pretext that the owners had no Israeli-issued building permits.
The demolitions displaced 29 people including 10 children and affected the livelihoods of about 140 people according to its report.
“Some 35 of the structures were in Area C including 19 structures seized without warning which prevented the ability of owners to object in advance.”
“Nine other structures were demolished in east Jerusalem including five that were destroyed by their owners following the issuance of demolition orders to avoid paying fines when the structure is demolished by Israeli authorities.”
OCHA also pointed out that the Israeli authorities detonated on September 6 an uninhabited residential apartment in a multistory building in Jenin city in Area A on punitive grounds. “The home belonged to the family of a Palestinian man who shot and killed three Israelis in Israel in April 2022 and who was subsequently killed.”
Two other homes sustained damage from that explosion affecting two Palestinian households comprising 12 people including eight children it added.
“Since the beginning of 2022 11 homes have been demolished on punitive grounds compared with three in all of 2021 and seven in 2020” the report underlined.
During the reporting period OCHA also said that Israeli forces shot and killed seven Palestinians and injured 315 Palestinians including at least 37 children during different incidents in the West Bank.
As for settler violations the report said that Jewish settlers injured 21 Palestinians and damaged Palestinian property in 27 instances.
